Channel Design

Hydromechanics VVR090

Design of Channels
lined channels minimizing lining material costs unlined channels maximum permissible velocity and threshold of movement (stable hydraulic section)

Concrete-lined channel

Unlined channel

Objectives of Channel Design

Transport water between two points in a safe and cost-effective manner. Includes economical, safety, and esthetics aspects. Here, mainly hydraulic aspects are considered. General observations: Conveyance of a channel increases with the hydraulic radius (wetted perimeter deceases). From Mannings formula. The best hydraulic section is a semicircle (for a given area it has the minimum wetted perimeter). For a specific cross section, the proportion that produce the best hydraulic section (maximum flow) might be derived. The best hydraulic section might not be the best from an economical point of view.

Best Hydraulic Cross Section I

Maximize the flow for a given cross-sectional shape and area. From the Manning formula:

Q=

1 1/ AR 2 / 3 So 2 n

Qn = AR 2 / 3 So
Qn max = AR 2 / 3 should be found for a given A S o

Thus:

Best Hydraulic Cross Section II

Optimum geometries for different cross sections. Rectangular cross section: best hydraulic cross section when the water depth is half the channel width.

Practical Considerations for Best Hydraulic Section

The area needed to excavate the best hydraulic section might be larger than the area required to achieve the flow area It may not be possible to construct a stable best hydraulic section in the natural material The cost of excavation depends on other things than the amount of material removed (e.g., access to the site, cost of disposing material) The slope of the channel must also be considered.

Channel Design General Aspects

1. The minimum permissible velocity is the lowest velocity that will prevent sedimentation and vegetative growth (crude estimates: 0.6 0.9 m/s for sedimentation and 0.75 m/s for vegetation).

2. The side slopes depend primarily on the engineering properties of the material through which the channel is excavated.

3. The freeboard refers to the vertical distance between either the top of the channel or the top of the channel lining and the water surface (design flow at normal depth).

Side Slopes

Channel Freeboard I
Lined channel

Channel Freeboard II
Preliminary estimate of freeboard (unlined channel):

F = Cy
F: freeboard (ft) y: design depth (ft) C: coefficient (=1.5 for 20 ft3/s and 2.5 for 3000 ft3/s)

Flow Around a Channel Curve I

Flow Around a Channel Curve II

Rise in water surface at the outer bank:

h =

u 2b gR

b: channel width R: distance from center of curve to centerline of channel Take into account velocity variation:

h = 2.3

R u2 log o g Ri

Ri: inner radius Ro: outer radius

Use of Lined Channels

Lined channels may be used: to permit transmission of water at high velocities through areas of deep or difficult excavation to permit transmission of water at a reduced construction cost to decrease channel seepage to reduce operation and maintenance costs to ensure stability of the channel section

Typical Lined Channel Cross Sections

Design Procedure for Lined Channels

Minimize the cost of the lining material. Identical to find best hydraulic section, if uniform thickness of the lining material is employed.

Design procedure: 1. Estimate n 2. Compute the value of the section factor 3. For appropriate expression for A and R, compute yN 4. Compute channel properties 5. Check minimum permissible velocity and Froude number 6. Estimate height of lining above surface and freeboard 7. Summarize results with dimensioned sketch

Design for Different Lining Thickness or Material

The base of the channel and the sides of the channel might be lined with different material of same material with different thickness. Design procedure involves minimizing the total cost (C) of the lining material:

min ( C ) = min ( Cb + Cs )
Cb: material cost for channel base (per unit length) Cs: material cost of sides (per unit length)

Design of Stable, Unlined, Earthen Channels

Find a stable cross section => One where neither scour nor deposition constitutes a problem. Three types of unstable sections: 1. Scouring occur but no deposition 2. Deposition occur but no scouring 3. Both scour and deposition occur

Maximum Permissible Velocities

Theoretical Approach to Stable Cross Section I

Bed shear stress (balance between gravity and force due to flow resistance):

o = gRSo
For a wide channel, R y N , giving:

o = gy N So
The shear stress is not uniformly distributed along the perimeter. Complex problem to determine correct distribution, but for trapezoidal cross section the following applies:
max o = gy N So

maximum along bottom maximum along side slopes

max o

= 0.76gy N So

Maximum Unit Tractive Force

Channel side

Channel bottom (in terms of gy N So )

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Theoretical Approach to Stable Cross Section II

Study a particle in equilibrium, just before mobilization. Employ a balance between the shear force mobilizing the sediment and the resisting force depending on the material. Balance for particles along the bed:

L Ae = Ws tan L = Ws tan Ae

Ae: effective area Ws: submerged particle weight a: angle of friction (= angle of repose)

Angle of Respose
The angle to the horizontal at which grains start to roll on a flat bed of sediment that is gradually tilted from the horizontal.

A representative value on the angle of repose is 32 deg.

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Theoretical Approach to Stable Cross Section III

Balance for particles on the side slopes:

( S Ae ) + (Ws sin )
2

= Ws cos tan

Ws tan 2 cos tan 1 S = tan 2 Ae

Tractive force ratio:

K=

S tan 2 sin 2 = cos 1 = 1 2 L tan 2 sin

Angle of Repose

tana

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Maximum Unit Tractive Force for Different Materials

non-cohesive

cohesive

Typical Channel Cross Sections

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Design Procedure for Unlined Channels

Find a stable cross section. Design procedure:

1. Estimate n 2. Estimate angle of repose for channel material 3. ...

Consult French for the procedure.

Example 14.265: Water Surface Profile Upstream an Obstruction

Water flowing at the normal depth in a rectangular concrete channel that is 12 m wide encounters an obstruction (see figure), causing the water level to rise above the normal depth at the obstruction and for some distance upstream. The water discharge is 126 m3/s and the channel bottom slope is 0.00086. The depth of water just upstream from the obstruction is 4.55 m. Find the distance upstream to the point where the surface is at the normal depth.

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Normal water depth:

Q=

1 AR 2 / 3 S 1/ 2 n
2/3

12 y N 1 126 = 12 y N 0.013 12 + 2 y N 12 y N 2.256 12 + 2 y N

2/3

0.000861/ 2

10.5 =0 yN

y N = 2.95 m (by trial and error)

Critical water depth:

q2 ycr = g

1/ 3

1 126 2 = 9.81 12

1/ 3

= 2.24 m

yN > ycr => subcritical flow at normal water depth Start at obstruction and calculate upstream through the step method.

xi

(y+u =

So ( n u / R

/ 2g )

i +1 2 2

( y + u2 / 2g )
4/3

i +1/ 2

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Table for Step Calculation

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